Furnace charging mechanism



(No Model.) 5 SheetsSheet 1.

J. P. ECK.

FURNACE CHARGING MEGHANIYsM.

No. 587,942, Patented Aug. 10,1897.

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Witnesses: Inventor @ML M rm: nouns mus cov. mmwm. wmmu'rnn. m c.

(No Model.) 5 SheetsSheet 2.

J. P. ECK. FURNACE CHARGING MEGHANISM.'

No. 587,942. I Patented Aug. 10,1897.

Witnesses: In van/202* \flMg.lA/Jlw1T/o (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

J. P. EOK. FURNACE CHARGING MECHANISM.

No. 587,942. Patented Aug. 10,1897.

Wt 27265565: I 172mm Z01 (No Model.) 5 Sheet-sSheet 5.

J. P. EGK. FURNACE CHARGING MECHANISM.

No. 587,942. Patented Aug. 10,1897.

MHMH m Witnssses:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH P. ECK, OF MUNCIE, INDIANA.

FURNACE-CHARGING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 587,942, dated August10, 1897. Application filed March 1, 1897. Serial No. 625,617. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may conccrm.

Be it known that I, JOSEPH P. ECK, a citi zen of the United States,residing at Muncie, in the county of Delaware and State ofIndiana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Furnace'ChargingMechanism; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it. appertains to make and use the same.

"This invention relates to a new and useful improvement infurnace-charging mechan-. ism; and it consists in the construction andarrangement of parts hereinafter described, and definitely pointed outin the claims.

The aim and purpose of this invention is to construct a chargingmechanism which will lift the charging-pan containing the charge from atrack in front of the furnace and carry the charging-pan into thefurnace and dump the pan and then return the pan to its position on thetrack at the front of the furnace.

It is also the purpose to hang the doors to the charging mechanism sothat when the pan is lifted the door of the furnace selected will beopened and will be closed when the pan is returned to its initialposition.

It is further the object to construct a mechanism which can be easilyoperated and which will contain the fewest possible parts capable ofaccomplishing the desired result.

These and other objects not hereinbefore mentioned are accomplished bythe construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein likeletters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views,

and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a complete chargingmachine,showing my invention with the exception of the track-elevatingmechanism. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a plurality of furnaces,illustrating the verti- Cally-movable track upon which the chargingmechanism proper is shifted to coincide with the several f urn ace-doorsand the means for moving the track vertically. Fig. 3 is a sideelevation of a portion of the laterallymoving frame or track,illustrating more particularly the means by which lateral movement isimparted to the frame and the means for moving the charging-pan carrierand operator longitudinally upon the frame or to and from the furnace.Fig. 4 is a plan view of the mechanism illustrated in Fig.3. Fig. 5 is adetail view of the clutch-lever. Fig. 6 is a front elevation of themeans for dumping the pan. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the same. the truckfor carrying the same. Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken at a pointindicated by the line 9 9, Fig. 1, illustrating the means for engagementwith the pan of the charging-pan carrier. Fig. 10 is a detail view inperspective of one of the uprights of the furnace and the antifrictionmeans employed in moving the vertically-movable track guided thereby infront of the furnaces. Fig. 11 is a front Fig. 8 is an elevation of thepan and e elevation, partlyin section, of the means for moving thevertically-movable track. Fig. 12 is a transverse sectional view of theparts shown in Fig. 11. Fig. 13 is a plan view of the operatingcog-wheel for raising and lowering the track and showing theantifrictionbearing interposed between the cog-wheel and the stationarysupport for the track. Fig. 14: is a plan view of a portion of thelaterally-movin g track or frame, illustrating the truck of thecharging-pan carrier and operator which is supported therefrom; and Fig.15 is a sectional elevation taken at a point indicated on the line 1515, Fig. 14.

The subject-matter of this application is an improvement .on theconstruction shown in the pending application of Joseph P. Eek, filedOctober 28, 1896, and bearing Serial No. 610,296.

In the drawings, A designates the front of a plurality of furnaces, andA designates the doors. I have only shown three doors, al-

though it is obvious that any number could be used. These doors areadapted to slide and are guided in the ways A, secured to the front ofthe furnaces.

B designates the uprights. These uprights extend above the furnace andare independent of the furnace, so as to prevent any jar on the same,and support the cross-bar B over the front portion of the furnace.

O designates the vertically-movable track. The opposite ends of thistrack are provided with the friction'rollers c, which bear against theuprights B. Depending from the crossbar B are the supports D, which arebraced by the arms D, secured to the supports and cross-bar.

D designates levers which are pivoted intermediate their ends to thesupports, as shown at cl. Pivoted to the outer ends of these levers arethe depending rods 0. The lower ends of these rods are pivoted to a link0, which is connected to the vertically-movable track on the oppositeside of the uprights B.

c is a friction-roller journaled in the links and bearing against therear side of the uprights. It will thus be seen that thevertically-movable track will be guided by the uprights and will have aroller-bearing contact therewith.

The inner ends of the levers D are pivotally secured to the lower end ofa square shaft E by means of a pin e, passing through the ends of thelevers, and an enlargement e on the lower end of the shaft. This shaftis round and screw-threaded for a portion ofits length for a purposehereinafter described and passes through an aperture in a block E,

supported by the cross-bars B. The shaft E is guided by the brackets Eand E, supported, respectively, upon the top and from the bottom of thecross-bars. These brackets are secured in place by the bolts E, all asshown in Figs. 11 and 12.

F designates a beveled cog-wheel which is provided with a screw-threadedaperture engaging the screw-threads on the shaft. By the connection ofthe levers with the vertically-movable track and the lower end of theshaft, as before described, it will be seen that the weight of the trackwill normally tend to press the shaft upward and that this pressure willbe exerted at all times. As the cog-wheel F is carried by the shaft, itis necessary to provide a bearing between the wheel and block E. This isaccomplished by securing to the bottom of the block E a bearing-plate Fand securing to the top portion of the cogwheel a series of antifriction-rollers F. These rollers are journaled upon and are securedin position by two concentric ringsfand f, secured to the top of thewheel, all as shown in Fig. 13.

F designates a bevel gear-wheel meshing with the cogs on the wheel F.This wheel F is rigidly secured to a shaft F, which is connected to anysuit-able motive power, preferably the electric motor for operating theother movable parts, hereinafter described. By this construction it willbe seen that when the cog-wheel F is rotated by the shaft 13 and wheel Fthe shaft E will be raised or lowered, thereby raising or lowering thetrack 0 by means of the connecting-levers D, rods 0, and links 0.By-forming the shaft E square it will not rotate in the brackets E andE.

The doors A are supported by the track C and are adapted to'be raisedand lowered by the movement of the track. To each door is secured acable a, which passes over pulleys a, journ aled on the track. The endsof these cables extend downward and are secured to the notched bars a,and to the bottom of the,

bars is secured a weight b. The notches in the bar are adapted to beengaged with a projection b on the front of the furnaces by means of thepivoted cam-leverb on the front of the furnaces. When it desired toraise any one of the doors, the bar is locked in position and the doorwill be raised by the upward movement of the track. When the bar is notlocked, the bar will rise with the track and the door remain stationary.

G designates the laterally-movable frame or track. This track issupported at its inner end upon the track (3 by means of the truck G,and at its outer end it is supported upon the truck G, which issupported upon the stationary track G', which is supported by the postsG. The frame is supported on the outer truck pivotally, so that theouter truck will always remain on its track when the inner truck andtrack are lowered. This is accomplished by supporting the frame upon Theframe G is moved laterally in front of the furnace on the tracks 0 andG' and the truck H longitudinally on the frame G by the followingmechanism. v

I designates an ordinary reversible electric motor supported on theframe, which receives its source of supply from the line trolleywire I.This motor rotates a shaft 1', journaled on the frame.

'I is a pinion rigidly secured on the parallel shaft 1, which mesheswith a pinion J, which is loosely mounted on aparallel shaft J, which isjourualed on the frame. The pinion J meshes with a pinion K, which isloosely mounted 011 the parallel shaft K, which is also journaled on theframe. To the outer end of the shaft J is secured a beveled gear-wheelL, which meshes with a beveled gear-wheel L, which is rigidly secured tothe vertical shaft L, which is journaled in suitable bearingsZ on theside of the frame. On the lower end of the vertical shaft is a beveledgear-wheel L, which meshes with a beveled gear-wheel L on one of theaxles of the truck G. Extending from the opposite end of this axle is ashort rod M, which is connected to the shaft M by means of the universaljoint m. The opposite end of this shaft M is connected by the universaljoint on with rod M, which extends from one of the axles of the truck G.It will thus be seen that when the truck G is moved upon its track itwill also move the truck by means of the shaft and connecting devices.By

forming the shaft with universal joints it relieves the shaft of allstrain and will enable the truck G to remain on the track G when theother truck is lowered. N designates a drum rigidly secured upon theshaft K. Around this drum is wrapped a cable N, which passes around thepulley I on the forward end of the track G, and has one end secured tothe truck H at 77/, as shown in Fig. ll. The opposite end of the cable,after being wrapped around the drum, is secured to the truck 11 at n, asalso shown in said Fig. 1%. By this construction it will be seen. thatthe truck H will be moved longitudinally on the frame G whenever thedrum is rotated and can be moved in either direction, according as thedrum is rotated. It will further be noticed that when motion is impartedto the shafts J and L and the various meshing cog-wheels on these shaftsboth ends of the frame will be simultaneously moved on the tracks C andG, all as plainly shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

O designates a clutch-lever, as shown in Fig. 5, for clutching thevarious parts to the motor-shaft. The clutch-lever is pivoted to thetrack G at O and has its outer end pivoted to a clutch-sleeve O by meansof pins 0, which engage the groove 0 on the periphery of the sleeve.This clutch-sleeve O is secured to the shaft J by means of a spline oand revolves with said shaft. The clutchlever O is also pivoted to theclutch-sleeve P by means of the pins P and encircles the said sleeve.This sleeve P is secured to and is adapted to rotate with the shaft K bymeans of the spline P on the shaft. The clutchsleeves are adapted toa-lternately engage the clutch-faces P and P on the pinions J and K,respectively. The clutch-lever is operated by means of the lever 1),which is pivoted to the track G at 1) and which extends down asufficient distance to be operated by the attendant. When it is desiredto move the frame laterally, the clutch-sleeve O is brought intoengagement with the clutch-face on the pinion J, thereby moving theshaft J, cog-wheel L, and its various connections, rotating the axle onthe truck G" and the axle on the truck G through the shaft M, as beforedescribed. When it is desired to move the truck longitudinally on theframe, the clutch-sleeve P is brought into'engagement with theclutch-face on the pinion K, thereby rotating the shaft K and drum N andmoving the truck H by means of the cable J, as before described. It willbe seen that by re versing the motor the movement of the various partscan be reversed.

Depending from the truck H are the bars H. These bars are braced by thecrossbars H.

H is a wheel resting on the bottom of the track or frame G to make thetruck run even on the said frame or track.

h are cross-braces for the track-frame. It will be seen by referring toFig. 15 that these cross-braces do not extend entirely across the bottomof the tracks and will not, therefore, be in the way of the wheels 11.

Supported from the lower ends of the bars H is a platform R. To thelower portion of the platform is pivotally secured a plate R by means ofthe bolt R. Supported on the plate R is the charging-pan shaft T. To theouter end of this shaft are secured two plates T, which are securedtogether by the shaft and the pron i designates the charging-pan, whichnormally rests upon a truck 25' on the tracks t at the front of thefurnaces. This pan t is provided with the hooks S on its opposite sidesand the hook S at its front edge, as shown in Figs. 8 and The prongs Ton the shaft are prolonged to engage the hooks S on the side of the pan,and the hook S on the pan will be engaged by the plate T. By thisconstruction'the shaft T will firmly grasp the pan when it is desired tolift the pan into the furnaces. The plate R is rotated upon the platformR by means of the hand-wheel s on the platform and gearing s, asdescribed in the pending application of Joseph P. Eck. To provide forthe independent movement of the shaft T, the said shaft is provided withthe rack U, which meshes with a pinion on the hand-shaft U, as fullydescribed in th said application of Joseph P. Eek.

To dump the charging-pan in the furnace and return it to its truck inproper position, I employ the following mechanism: Along the side of thetrack or frame G are placed tracks V, which are inclined at their innerends, as shown at V in Fig. 1. Engaging these tracks are the wheels V,which are socured together by the depending bars or rods V and arepivoted to the truck H by the links a. These rods pass through bearingson the bars V. The tracks are secured to the track-frame by the pins V,all as shown in Figs. 14 and 15. The lower ends of the rods are securedtogether by the cross-piece \V, which is provided with the slot W, asshown in Figs. 6 and 7. Depending from the cross-piece TV are the racksWV. These racks are secured to the cross-piece by the bolts \V, whichpass through the slot W in the cross-piece. By this construction theracks can be slid on the cross-piece and either rack can be brought intoengagement with the pinion w, which is secured on the shaft T by meansof a spline t. It will also be seen that when the truck H is movedinward toward the furnace, carrying the charging-pan into the furnace,the wheels V will ride up the incline V of the track V, therebyactuating the racks TV and dumping the pan in either direction,according to which rack is engaging the pinion w. lVhen the pan iswithdrawn from the furnace, the movement is reversed and the pan will bereturned to its 4 mentary projections and grooves a" and 00 on the camsand racks, respectively. I'Vhen either cam is moved down or up, it wille11- gage or disengage the rack to which it is connected with the pinionw on the shaft T.

Y is a handle for operating the cams.

Z are handle-nuts on the bolts X for looking the cams in their adjustedposition.

I am aware that many minor changes can be made in the construction andarrangement of parts as illustrated and described without in the leastdeparting from the nature and principles of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a machine for charging furnaces, the combination with a framelocated in front of the furnaces, of a track for supporting one end ofthe charging mechanism arranged to have a vertical movement on theframe, a screw-threaded shaft supported on the frame above the track,levers pivoted to the frame and having their opposite ends pivoted tothe shaft and track, and means engaging the threaded shaft for raisingand lowering the shaft upon the frame, substantially as described.

2. In a machine for charging furnaces, the combination with a framelocated in front of the furnaces, of a track for supporting one end ofthe charging mechanism arranged to have a vertical movement on theframe, a screw-threaded shaft supported on the frame above the track,levers pivoted to the frame and having their opposite ends pivoted tothe shaft and track, a Wheel having a threaded aperture engaging thethreaded shaft and bearing against the frame, and means for actuatingthe wheel, substantially as described.

3. In a machine for charging furnaces, the combination with a framelocated in front of the furnaces, of a track for supporting one end ofthe charging mechanism arranged to have a vertical movement on theframe, a

screw-threaded shaft supported on the frame above the track, leverspivoted to the frame and having their opposite ends pivoted to the shaftand track, a gear-wheel having a threaded aperture engaging the threadedshaft and bearing against the frame, and gearing connected with suitablepower for operating the gear-wheel on the shaft, substantially as dethewheel and frame, substantially as described.

5. In a machine for charging furnaces, the combination with a framelocated in front of the furnaces, of a track for supporting one end ofthe charging mechanism arranged to have a vertical movement on theframe, a screw-threaded shaft supported on the frame above-the track,levers pivoted to the frame and having their opposite ends pivoted tothe shaft and track, awheel having a threaded aperture engaging thethreaded shaft, means for actuating the wheel, and rollers on the upperface of the wheel bearing against the frame, substantially as described.

6. In a machine for charging furnaces, the combination with a framelocated in front of the furnaces and a track for supporting one end ofthe charging mechanism adapted to have a vertical movement on the frame,of a screw-threaded shaft on the framefor supporting the track, a wheelhaving a threaded aperture engaging the threaded shaft, rollers on theupper face of the wheel bearing against the frame, and concentric ringson the upper face of the wheel in which the rollers are journaled,substantially as described.

7. In a machine for charging furnaces, the combination with a framelocated in front of the furnaces, and a track for supporting one end ofthe charging mechanism adapted to have a vertical movement on the frame,of a screw-threaded shaft on the frame for supporting the track andnormally forced upward by the weight of the track, a wheel having athreaded aperture engaging the threaded shaft and located below theframe, cogteeth on the upper face of the wheel and rollers within thecog-teeth bearing against the frame, substantially as described.

8. In a machine for charging furnaces, the combination with thefurnace-doors, of a track arranged over the front of the furnace forsupporting one end of the charging mechanism, a frame located in frontof the furnaces for supporting the track, a screwthreaded shaftsupported on the frame above the track, levers pivoted to the frame andhaving their opposite ends pivoted to the shaft and track, meansengaging the threaded shaft for raising and lowering the shaft upon theframe, and means connecting the doors and track. whereby the doors willremain closed or will be opened by the movement of the track,substantially as described.

9. In a machine for charging furnaces, the combination with a framelocated in front of the furnaces of a track for supporting one end ofthe charging mechanism arranged to have a vertical movement on the frameand supported by the frame, means for vertically moving the track, linksconnecting said means with the opposite ends of the track, andantifriction-bearings on the links bearing against the vertical uprightsof the frame, substantially as described.

10. In a machine for charging furnaces, the combination with a framelocated in front of the furnaces, of .a track for supporting one end ofa charging mechanism arranged to have a vertical movement on the frame,a movable shaft supported on the frame above the track, levers pivotedto the frame having one of their ends pivoted to the shaft a dependingrod pivoted to the opposite ends of the levers, and a link embracing theuprights of the frame for connecting the lower ends of the rods with theends of the track, substantially as described.

11. In a machine for charging furnaces, the combination with avertically-movable track arranged over the front of the furnaces, of astationary track arranged in front of the vertically-movable track, amovable frame or track supported on trucks on the tracks, a motorcarried by the frame, and gearing connecting the motor and axles of thetrucks for laterally moving the frame across the front of the furnaces,substantially as described.

12. In a machine for charging furnaces, the combination with avertically-movable track arranged over the front of the furnace, of astationary track arranged in front of the vertically-movable track, amovable frame or track supported on trucks on the tracks, a motorcarried by the frame, gearing connecting the motor with the axle of oneof the trucks and a shaft connecting said axle with the axle of theother supporting-truck, substantially as described.

13. In a machine for charging furnaces, the combination with avertically-movable track arranged over the front of the furnace, of astationary track arranged in front of the vertically-movable track, amovable frame or track having one end supported on a truck on thevertically-movable track and the opposite end pivotally supported on atruck on the stationary track, a motor carried by the frame, gearingconnecting the motor with the axle of one of the trucks and aflexibly-jointed shaft connecting said axle with the axle of the othersupporting-truck, substantially as described.

14. In a machine for charging furnaces, the combination with avertically-movable track arranged over the front of the furnace, of astationary track arranged in front of the vertically-movable track, amovable frame or track supported on trucks on the tracks, a

v motor carried by the frame, a shaft actuated by the motor, a pinion onthe shaft, aparallel shaft on the frame, a pinion loosely mountedthereon meshing with the pinion on the motor-shaft, a gear-wheel on theend of said shaft, a shaft on the side of the frame, having gear-wheelsat its opposite ends the upper gear-wheel meshing with the gear-wheel onthe parallel shaft, a gear-wheel on the end of the axle of one of thesupporting-trucks meshing with the lower gear-wheel on the shaft on theside of the frame, a connection between the axles of thesupporting-trucks and a clutch member slidingly secured on the parallelshaft for actuating said shaft when the clutch member is brought intoengagement with the loose pinion thereon, substantially as described.

15. In a machine for charging furnaces, the combination with avertically-movable track arranged over the front of the furnace, of astationary track arranged in front of the vertically-movable track, amovable frame or track supported on trucks on the tracks,alongitudinally-movable truck supported on the frame, a motor-shaft onthe frame, a pinion on the motor-shaft, parallel shafts on the frame,pinions loosely mounted on the shafts and meshing with each other, oneof the pinions meshing with the pinion on the motorshaft, gearingconnecting one of the parallel shafts with the axles of the trucks, adrum on the other parallel shaft, a cable. wrapped around the drumhaving its opposite ends secured to opposite ends ofthelongitudinallymovable truck, clutch-sleeves slidingly secured on bothof the parallel shafts, and a clutch-lever for engaging eitherclutch-sleeve with its pinion for actuating either shaft, substantiallyas described.

16. In a machine for charging furnaces, the combination with avertically-movable track arranged over the front of the furnace, of astationary track arrangedin front of the vertically-movable track, amovable frame or track supported on trucks on the tracks,alongitudinally-movable truck supported on the frame, a motor-shaft onthe frame, a pinion on the motor-shaft, parallel shafts on the frame,pinions loosely mounted on the shafts meshing with each other, one ofthe pinions meshing with the pinion on the motor-shaft, gearingconnecting one of the parallel shafts with the trucks for actuating thesame, gearing connecting the other parallel shaft with thelongitudinally-movable truck for actuating the same, clutch-sleevesslidingly secured on both of the parallel shafts and a clutchlever foralternately engaging either clutchsleeve with its pinion for actuatingeither shaft, substantially as described.

17. In a charging device for furnaces, the combination with tracksarranged in front of the furnaces, of a frame or track supported on thetracks, a movable truck on the frame, a shaft carried by the truckadapted to carry a charging-pan, a pinion on the shaft,oppositely-arranged racks adapted to engage the pinion, means foractuating the racks upon the movement of the truck, sliding camsengaging the racks for bringing either rack int-o mesh with the pinionon the shaft and means for locking the cams in their adjusted posi

